West Bengal is one of the Indian subcontinent’s richest cultural destinations. As India’s most densely populated state, West Bengal is renowned for its diverse culture that has produced some of the country’s most famed thinkers, poets, and artisans including Rabindranath Tagore, the first Nobel Prize in Literature winner from outside of Europe.

Kolkata (Calcutta), the state capital, retains many of the colonial charms and architectural works left behind by the British Raj when it served as India’s capital city. While the state is filled with countless historical monuments, religious temples, and works of ancient architecture, West Bengal has some of the truly excellent natural attractions including wildlife sanctuaries like the Sundarbans National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the state’s southeast region.